Class I railroads are typically known for long-haul transportation of commodities with as few stops in between as possible. Currently, there are seven Class I railroads in North America:
- BNSF
- Canadian National Railway
- Canadian Pacific
- CSX
- Kansas City Southern
- Norfolk Southern
- Union Pacific
Short line and regional railroads extend the reach of a Class I railroad into markets not located directly along Class I routes. They provide a short-haul connection between the Class I and a customer – or the “first and last mile.” Short line and regional railroads often take many smaller customer shipments and group them together on one train, which can lower transportation costs and increase service. To learn more about their role in the North American transportation chain, visit the American Association of Short Line and Regional Railroads website.
G&W currently owns or leases more than 100 short line or regional railroads in the U.S. and Canada.
Customer Success Stories
Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road Gets Essentials to Market during Pandemic
While Genesee & Wyoming’s Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road (CUOH) has been an important part of transportation logistics for many customers across central and eastern Ohio for nearly two decades, the coronavirus pandemic further emphasized that role. Two customers served by the railroad produce essential products, including cleaners and disinfectants as well as pharmaceuticals and nutritional therapeutics.
Sweetener Supply Selects Site along Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway for New Facility
When Sweetener Supply Corp., a Brookfield, Illinois-based manufacturer and marketer of food-grade ingredients, identified a need for a new production facility, it chose a site along G&W’s Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TPW) in White County, Indiana.
Plastic Express Facility Taps Georgia Central Railway for Rail Service
Georgia Central Railway’s (GC) route and Class I interchanges made the railroad an ideal fit to serve a major new Plastic Express distribution center in Pooler, Georgia. In 2017, G&W’s industrial development team met with Capital Development Partners about developing industrial land around GC. The two teams approached Plastic Express in 2018 about locating its new, state-of-the-art facility on the 197-acre Savannah Port Logistics Center served by GC.